


The Curvature of Our Lives

by meanderingmirth



Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, parkour!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-28
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-08-18 08:29:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8155715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meanderingmirth/pseuds/meanderingmirth
Summary: Hongbin’s no stranger to the practice of parkour, even if it did begin as a way for his punk ass to get to class on time when he was twelve. He’s damn good at it too, he’ll daresay, but then he meets Hakyeon, who whirls through the air and tiptoes his way across impossible surfaces, and finds that there’s perhaps something else he’s come to fall in love with in his life.





	

**Author's Note:**

> the parkour AU that appeared out of the blue!! inspired by [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0pxjRHPVhk&feature=youtu.be&t=327), [this](https://twitter.com/RealVIXX_Japan/status/695212334558515200), and of course [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvcAt4vmWqI&feature=youtu.be&t=171) :^) (also, [parkour style!Jaehwan](https://twitter.com/RealVIXX_Japan/status/716965560852946944)!)
> 
> [[song inspiration](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKmWd8DPrEc&feature=youtu.be)]
> 
> happy birthday hongbin!
> 
> enjoy!

 

When Hongbin was eight, he fell out of a tree he was climbing and nearly broke his elbow.

As it stands, he was damn lucky he fell into the only patch of green grass underneath the wizened old tree instead of the rocky pathway literally two feet from where he’d kissed the lumpy earth. As a result, he only ended up with some terribly scraped-up palms and knees.

His grandmother tutted at him the whole time she washed his hands out from beneath an old-fashioned water pump, gently rubbing away the blood and dirt and sand stuck to the cuts while his older sisters watched from the deck and ate their ice cream cones.

“Oh, my poor baby,” the old woman chuckled when she placed the plasters all over the cuts. “You should’ve known better, silly duckling.”

Eight-year-old Hongbin sniffled, letting his grandmother wipe away his tears with stiff fingers. He couldn’t help but look back over at the oak tree, with its swaying leaves and low-hanging branches, and silently bemoan the fact that he’d only been a hair’s breadth away from grabbing onto one of the gnarly limbs. If he’d made it, he could’ve swung himself back up and landed on his feet rather his his hands.

“Hongbin,” his grandmother said, drawing Hongbin’s attention back to her. There was something akin to mischievous wisdom in her eyes, and he’ll never forget what she says afterwards. “If you’re going to try and become a bird, perhaps you should learn how to fly first.”

Sixteen years later, Hongbin still can’t fly— but he’s definitely found something that’s a close second.

+

The sun had just begun to peak over the rooftops at this hour, but sweat was already dripping down Hongbin’s chin, temples, and neck. The sleeves of his thick hoodie were pushed up, revealing forearms that tense with each pull and push he made as his body launched over a variety of objects scattered in the area: benches, flowerbeds, parked cars, railings.

Parallel to him and a little ways ahead, Wonshik is vaulting over a low wall, roughly four feet high, and his long legs arc through the air with practiced ease and powerful grace that Hongbin feels like he’s yet to achieve. But that’s alright, because his thighs are built and compacted with well-trained muscles after years of being a traceur, so he easily clears the entire block of concrete with a running jump.

The children’s park is empty and quiet, but so is the rest of the world at 6:45 in the god damn morning. Only things that fly are up and about at this time; birds, bees, and humans doing parkour.

The toys scattered around them is a perfect way to finish off the morning’s practice, since everything is nailed down and Hongbin won’t have to worry about something breaking on him as he uses it to anchor himself, like that rusted pipe he was swinging off of a few weeks back. The bruise he got had smarted for  _days_.

He launches himself at the monkey bars and swing through a few before pulling himself up through the rungs, popping up on top like a piece of toast. The thin rubber soles of his runners are worn and soft with use, letting his feet flex and latch onto the plastic parts of the jungle gym with ease. It’s almost like he’s not wearing shoes, and it took a hell of a long time for him to fully break his runners into something this comfortable. The strings from his hood fly into his face as Hongbin swings left, right, and leaps across one platform onto a wall.

His feet smack into the flat, horizontal surface, and he pushes off, arching his back until he can bring his legs over his head and flip onto the ground. The squishy red rubber flooring actually sinks under the impact, and Hongbin lets out a breath of air as he steps back, satisfied with his landing.

The park is a nice place, full of little obstacles and objects for them to use, but Hongbin’s sights are set bigger than that. He’s tasted the sky so many times already, and the entire city is an urban playground.

Footsteps sound, and a moment later Wonshik leaps off one of the lower platforms and tucks into a smooth, tight roll. It looks great until he comes back up and momentum spurs him forwards, making him trip and run smack into the edge of the slide.

“Ow!”

“Watch it,” Hongbin laughs, doubling over as Wonshik stumbles to his feet like a newborn deer, rubbing his knees with a gigantic pout. “You shouldn’t have jumped that far, idiot.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Wonshik groans, inspecting the bit of scraped skin before brushing it off. You don’t get far in the game if you’re squeamish over something a little as a skinned knee; blotchy bruises, swollen joints, rolled ankles and broken bones are all part of the packaged deal.

“Anyway, good run,” Hongbin says, striding over to the bench. There’s two unopened water bottles under the seat, right where they’d left it earlier on in the morning, and he tosses one to Wonshik. He catches it, and they take a moment to refresh themselves.

“Feels good to be back,” Wonshik sighs happily, giving Hongbin a lopsided grin as he lifts the bottom of his shirt to wipe at his mouth. “Not gonna lie, I’m feeling a little out of sorts after midterms. That modern architecture test was was  _brutal_.”

“Can’t relate,” Hongbin says breezily, yanking his hoodie over his head. It’s drenched in his sweat, and he wrinkles his nose as he tugs his damp t-shirt back down. Looks like it’s gonna be laundry day today.

Wonshik scoffs playfully at him before leaning over and dumping the remainder of his water over his hair and shaking it out like a wet dog. “Yeah, okay, mister I-only-have-cumulative-end-of-year-exams. Since you’ve obviously been keeping up with practice and all, you should be totally okay meeting the crew, right?”

Hongbin doesn’t even bother disguising his groan, flopping over the cool metal of the park bench. “I knew you’d bring that up.”

“That’s cause you keep on bailing on me,” Wonshik complains, capping his empty bottle before lobbing it in the direction of the garbage bins. It sails in, unobstructed. “C’mon, I told you they’re all great people. Great traceurs as well. Nobody’s gonna rail on you for your technique. Which is perfectly fine, by the way. You’re a natural.”

“There’s no need to butter me up like that, cause I’m not going,” Hongbin says pointedly, and gets another eyeful of Wonshik’s sad-puppy pout. “What’s wrong with just going out and practicing on my own!”

“Nothing, other than it’s hella boring,” Wonshik replies, sweeping his wet bangs out of his eyes. “Me, myself, and a brick wall to bounce off. Not depressing at all.”

Hongbin flicks his bottle cap at Wonshik, who dodges it before ploughing on. “I’m being serious! You’d love some of the other routes those guys are familiar with too. It’s always nice to try something new, with new people.”

Hongbin squints at his friend as he bundles his hoodie under his arm. This has been a recurring discussion that he’d tried to stamp out a while back; when Wonshik met a bunch of local traceurs by coincidence one day, he’d made friends with them and now was adamant that Hongbin joined in. Which isn’t a bad thing, really, because Wonshik usually has a pretty good judge of character. But Hongbin feels so  _awkward_  around new people sometimes, and he honestly doesn’t know how he’ll hold up around them. He puffs out a breath and folds his sweater up in his arms.

“You just want to go and moon Taekwoon’s ass while he’s jumping,” Hongbin accuses, and feels wholly satisfied when Wonshik goes crimson and chokes on his own spit.

“I do not want to m-moon Taekwoon’s a-ass! Don’t be vulgar!”

“Wonshik, you are the worst liar I’ve ever met. You couldn’t even look me in the eye while you were saying that.”

“My pure,  _strictly innocent_  attraction to Taekwoon is not the only reason why I’m hanging out with them,” Wonshik sniffs, indignant, and Hongbin snickers to himself as the two of them head off towards the sidewalk, leaving the playground behind. The sun has risen higher, and the sounds of traffic is increasing as other people begin their day. “I’m not kidding, Kong, you’ll like hanging out with those guys. They’re fun and you’ll get used to them in no time. Also, Taekwoon broke his arm, like, ages ago, so he hasn’t been doing much. If you’re bored of them, you can just sit and chat him up, I’m sure he won’t mind the company.”

“I’ll tell him all your embarrassing middle school moments,” Hongbin vows, and gets a shove, a distressed groan, and more pouty wheedling. Fuck, it’s seriously too much for a Thursday morning. “Okay! Okay,  _fine_. If I come hang out one time, will you stop giving me those ridiculous sad eyes?”

“You’re gonna come?!” Wonshik gasps, jaw dropping as he excitedly latches onto Hongbin’s arm. Hongbin grimaces as they come to their fork in the road, cursing himself for giving in after holding out for so long.

“Just this  _once_. If I don’t like it, I’m out.”

“Next Monday at five, at Hurtsman Park, next to that giant statue of that bird smelling its own butt, you know the one. Don’t be late!” Wonshik says immediately, grinning and clapping him brightly on the back. “I’ll be there too!”

“You better be,” Hongbin warns, jabbing a finger at Wonshik, who’s already making a tactical retreat across the street before Hongbin could grab him, smile brighter than the sun. “Wonshik! Seriously, don’t let me go alone!”

The response he gets his a cheerful wave before his best friend is swallowed up by the sea of people swarming out of the subway entranceway, and he’s forced to hurry the other way before he’s crushed by the oncoming pedestrians. His watch blips at him, reminding him of the hour, and Hongbin quickens his pace back to his apartment.

Time to wash up, grab some cereal to go, and hopefully not have to scale up the side of the South Building to beat his professor to class.

+

Monday comes way faster than Hongbin would’ve liked, and in between an assignment on Friday and his part-time job over the weekend, he almost forgets his promise to Wonshik.

Fortunately, Wonshik is one of those friends that’ll never forget a birthday or a special date, and sends approximately seven messages to Hongbin at varying points in time on Monday to remind him of their meeting. Which leads to his grumbling his whole way out of his 4pm class, the whole subway ride across the city, and the entire trek up the trail behind a monstrous building in the Finance district to reach his destination. The park is a quiet area located on top of a hill and is only accessible through a shaded, winding path through a small forest, and it’s definitely somewhere that shouldn’t be frequented after dark. It’s okay during the day time, but Hongbin doesn’t have much of a reason to hang around this side of town, so it’s not a frequent haunt of his.

Besides, the place is called  _Hurtsman_ Park, and they’re here to do parkour. The irony doesn’t escape him.

The children’s playground is a lot smaller here, but there’s a lot of sculptures, walls, rails, and descending steps. It’s not a bad place for practice, Hongbin has to admit.

Wonshik isn’t here yet, and there’s only a few people milling about, but Hongbin can definitely see this is the group he’s meant to hang out with. There’s two guys at the base of the questionable bird statue, and one of them is sitting and fiddling with a set of speakers while the other is bouncing up and down like he’s got springs attached to the balls of his feet. They’re young, probably around Hongbin’s age, and as he hovers awkwardly at the entranceway of the park, he watches the one bouncing up and down do a sudden back flip, landing solidly on the soles of his feet with a whoop.

“So, d’you see the bird sniffing its own butt, or the dog trying to pee on a bush?”

Hongbin jumps a foot into the air, yelping as he whirls around. There’s a guy standing next to him, wearing a red sweater and baggy sweatpants, and he’s got a grin on his face. He looks young but he’s ridiculously tall, and Hongbin has to stare up at the him, utterly perplexed, until the guy nods towards the statue again.

“Well? Which one do you see?”

“The... bird?” Hongbin says, eyebrow twitching, and the guy clucks his tongue, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Seriously? All you people have no imagination. This bird-dog statue discourse isn’t over, but let’s touch on that later. Are you warmed up?”

“W-What?” Hongbin asks, and the guy jerks his head towards the two sitting at the base, already walking towards them.

“Sweatpants, loose shirt, short legs. You’re Wonshik’s friend, right? And you’re here to practice with us?”

“Yeah, I guess I am— wait, what do you mean, short legs?” Hongbin splutters indignantly, almost tripping over an unevenly paved part of the walkway as he hastens to follow. The guy laughs.

“Hey, that’s just how Wonshik described you! I’m Sanghyuk, by the way,” he adds, sticking a gigantic hand out for a shake. “I actually attend the college division on your university’s campus.”

“O-Oh, really?” Hongbin asks, dropping his bag onto the ground. He’s aware of the other two watching them now, and he wants to shy away from their looks. Meeting new people just wasn’t his thing, and he’s bound to say something awkward and embarrass himself later. “What do you study?”

“Korean literature,” Sanghyuk says cheerfully, chucking his bag against the bottom of the statue. “Anyway! This is Jaehwan, and that’s Taekwoon. They’re part of our crew.”

Jaehwan pumps his arm up and down, vigorously cheerful, but Taekwoon only offers a little wave. Which is understandable, because the entirety of his right arm is stuck in a white plaster cast, completely with what appears to be a bright pink sleeve fitted over top. Hongbin’s not even sure he can wrap his hand around all that.

“Wonshik’s friend, right?” Jaehwan beams, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “What did you say your name was?”

Belatedly, Hongbin realizes he didn’t introduce himself, and mentally groans.

“Hongbin,” he says, and is fortunately saved by the timely arrival of his said best friend.

“Wonshikkie!” Jaehwan shouts in greeting, waving so wildly Hongbin’s terrified the guy might throw his shoulder. But then he hears an unfamiliar voice shout, “What, no hello for me?!” and he realizes there’s someone else with Wonshik.

He turns to look, and Hongbin promptly loses his breath.

Wonshik is making his way up the path with his usual workout garb, but the man walking next to him is wearing some very neat, pressed slacks and has a silky, burgundy-coloured shirt tucked into the waistband of said fitting pants. He’s carrying a messenger bag on his side, bouncing across firm-looking thighs. His hair is cropped short, but there’s still a fringe that ruffles in the breeze, and Hongbin swears he can see a little halo of light reflect off the guy’s head. He seriously looks like he just walked out of a shampoo commercial.

“Oh, you’re here already!” Wonshik says brightly, running up to Hongbin. “Aw, I knew you’d keep our promise! I was half-expecting you to bail last minute.”

“Glad to see you have so much faith in me,” Hongbin deadpans, and his answer elicits a soft, amused laughed from the man next to Wonshik. Hongbin flushes, giving him a quick look, and is rewarded with the sight of two pretty eyes looking curiously at him.

“Your friend, Wonshik?”

“Did you not tell  _any_  of these people my name?” Hongbin demands, and Wonshik scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

“Uh, might’ve slipped my mind,” he says, and Hongbin rolls his eyes.

“It’s never too late for a formal introduction,” the man interrupts smoothly, and he holds out a hand for Hongbin. “I’m Hakyeon, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“H-Hongbin,” Hongbin replies weakly, and he has his hand grasped in an unexpectedly firm shake. For such a lithe, slender guy, Hakyeon had a  _hell_  of a grip.

“Hurry up and change!” Sanghyuk shouts, interrupting them. “We don’t have all evening.”

“Right you are,” Hakyeon laughs, and gives Hongbin a wink as he lets go. Hongbin swears his legs might’ve turned into jelly at that point. “See you guys in a few!”

“Don’t take too long, grandpa,” Sanghyuk says, and gets a swift kick to the butt as Hakyeon passes him. The tension coiled inside his stomach snaps, and Hongbin quickly looks away, busying himself with answering Wonshik’s question about his his day had been. He takes a gulp of water, and resolves to remain calm when Hakyeon returns dressed in a much more comfortable set of clothes. There’s no need to get worked up; he’s just met these people, for god’s sake.

“Alright,” Sanghyuk hums, scrolling through his phone. “I was thinking we could go down the trail and then branch off towards the parking garage next to that cluster of buildings, get warmed up, and then we can either stay there if you guys want or we can move onto the street. Thoughts?”

“Sounds good,” Jaehwan grins, cracking his knuckles. Wonshik nods his assent, and Taekwoon ignores them because he’s too busy playing with an old lady’s excitable chihuahua.

“You okay with that, Hongbin?” Hakyeon asks, and Hongbin jumps.

“Yeah, I’m cool with anything,” he says quickly, and Hakyeon pats his shoulder.

“We’ll take the lead,” he smiles, cheerful. “Don’t be afraid to yell if you need anything!”

“Okay,” Hongbin croaks, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, and then they’re off.

+

Wonshik was right. These guys  _are_  good, and Hongbin isn’t feeling like he’s left behind.

Maybe it’s because their styles are all so diverse; there’s Jaehwan, feather-light on his feet and effortless in his motions, who enjoys singing at the top of his voice when they’re dashing through the streets, showing off some impressive lung capacity. Then there’s Sanghyuk, a former gymnast, who tumbles like he’s born for it and likes to throw in a few flips and kicks for giggles. His flexibility is nothing to sneeze at either. He already knows Wonshik’s style, which is always cautious of where his long legs go, but full of sharp, snappy power moves that take him from one side of a ramp to the other in a blink of an eye. Hongbin can’t stop the excitement from mounting within him as they go, thinking to himself  _these guys are amazing and I’m actually having fun_ —

And then he sees Hakyeon, and he feels his heart stutter each time.

Hakyeon is stunning.

Looking at him in the nice shirt and pants, Hongbin would’ve never guessed the amount of power Hakyeon had. But like the rest of them, he’d vault and climb, long fingers latching onto thin, cylindrical structures that he’d then use to launch himself forwards, never staying still for longer than a second. There’s a touch of softness in the moves that Hongbin hadn’t expected to see, but beneath that were tense muscles, coiled and ready to spring, and everything felt like one compressed packaged of carefully controlled moves. Hongbin had no doubt that Hakyeon only did what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted it. It was a kind of graceful command over his body and surroundings, and Hongbin felt something akin to admiration by the time they’d cycled around the block and came back to the park.

He’s sweating and panting hard, muscles aching pleasantly and palms dusty and grimy. Taekwoon was feeding birds when they returned, and they all retrieved water and snacks from him to cool down.

“Hey man,” Jaehwan says, jumping over to Hongbin. He gets a companionable arm slung over his shoulder, and a wide grin. “You’re  _good_! Wonshik really wasn’t exaggerating.”

“I’m not that good,” Hongbin protests, blushing, but he’s drowned out by Wonshik’s  _I told you so!_  and Sanghyuk’s laugh.

“You should come to the gym with us sometime too,” Jaehwan says, winking as he releases Hongbin, letting him grab his water bottle. “Wednesday night drop-ins at V Fitness!”

“Ah,” Hongbin says, blinking. “Uh, I’ll think about it?”

Jaehwan looks like he might start whining at him too, and thankfully, Sanghyuk swoops by to snatch one of Jaehwan’s gummy bears and roast his friend at the same time. “You know, you keep on inviting people to join in, but when will  _you_  actually show up and work out for real?”

Wonshik chokes on his drink and Hakyeon bursts out laughing, holding his sides, and Hongbin’s breath hitches in his throat. It’s a wonderful sound.

“How dare you,” Jaehwan thunders, throwing his towel at Sanghyuk. It lands on a very unamused Taekwoon instead. “Not all of us here can do thirty sit ups in under a minute, you walking beanpole!”

Hongbin snorts, and shrugs his sweater back on. The sun is starting to dip low into the buildings, casting a warm orange glow over the city, and they’ll have to disperse soon. He almost doesn’t want to leave; these guys are a great crowd to practice with.

“Well?” Wonshik asks, when they’re sitting together on the subway, watching the handles sway above them and brief flashes of lights zoom by in the tunnels. “What did you think? They’re cool, aren’t they?”

“They’re nice,” Hongbin admits, and Wonshik’s eyes light up.

“You’re gonna come back to the next meet up then, right?” he says, grinning and clinging onto Hongbin’s arm until Hongbin pinches his nose.

“ _Maybe_ ,” he replies, stressing the word to drive his point home, and Wonshik squirms away from him, sticking his tongue out.

“Let me know if you want to come next time,” he says brightly. “The others like you already, I could tell.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hongbin hums, leaning back onto the deflated backing of the seat. He can’t stop thinking of the adrenaline rush and the elation he felt with five other people, all active and reaching for the stars like him, but most of all, he can’t stop thinking about a certain man who can don two completely different styles of living, and still pull each one flawlessly off.

He waves goodbye to Wonshik at their usual intersection, trudges home, and makes himself dinner. He does his homework, skims through the last chapter of the novel he has on his eReader, and finally hunkers down for bed, already tired at the thought of his 8am class tomorrow.

He stares at the ceiling for a fifteen minutes before letting out a long, exhausted groan of defeat. Hongbin grabs his phone from where it’s charging on his nightstand, opens his message folder, and searches up Wonshik’s name.

_When is the next meet up?_

+

He didn’t think he’d want to stay.

But three days later, this time on a Thursday evening before sunset, Hongbin finds himself back to where he’d started.

+

They spend some days in a single location at times, usually a quiet area in the industrial part of town, and spend their time polishing their moves. That’s usually when Wonshik gets all puppy-like with Taekwoon, trailing after the older man with such enthusiasm Hongbin’s sure he can see a tail wagging back and forth. And while it might look like Taekwoon is merely tolerating Wonshik’s presence, there’s also something endearing about the way Taekwoon lets Wonshik cling to him, then pats him on the head, and then scolds Wonshik for not eating enough before he comes to their meet-ups. It’s hilarious, and fascinating, to watch.

“How much do you wanna bet they’ll start dating soon?” Jaehwan whispers suddenly, like the conspiring sneak he is sometimes, and Hongbin exhales before he lowers himself from his handstand.

“I dunno, is that Taekwoon showing interest?”

Jaehwan waggles his eyebrows, and they watch as, with some of Sanghyuk’s cheeky probing, Taekwoon finally shows Wonshik a perfect aerial and is then the receiving end of a lot of gushing and praise. Hongbin laughs when he sees Taekwoon blushing at Wonshik’s honest admiration.

“Well. He risked his bum arm for Wonshik. I’d say there’s something there.”

“Wise words,” Jaehwan says, and then turns to Hongbin with a sly grin. “Anybody here catch your eye too, Kong?”

“Uh,” Hongbin fumbles, blanking out in shock, but Jaehwan saves him from stumbling over his own words when he elbows Hongbin.

“Are you like those notoriously picky types? Or do you prefer someone who doesn’t have a breakneck hobby like ours? Or... someone cute and adorable like  _me_?” he adds, batting his eyelashes, and Hongbin splutters, shoving Jaehwan in the shoulder in amusement.

“ _No_ ,” he snorts, ignoring Jaehwan’s exaggerated pout. “Just... anyone who’s nice, really.”

“Boooring,” Jaehwan proclaims, rolling his eyes. “Live a little! Date an alligator wrestler, or something.”

“I fail to see how that’s not more high-risk than what we do for fun.”

“Touché.”

“Hey!”

They both turn, and Sanghyuk is staring at them, hands on his hips. “Quit yabbering and come over. Hakyeon is gonna do a jump.”

“I am not,” Hakyeon shouts back as he lowers his water bottle, but he’s interrupted by Jaehwan’s excited yell.

“Is he really? You gotta watch, Kong, Hakyeon is, like, the god of long jumps.”

“I am  _not_ ,” Hakyeon complains, actually looking shy. “Don’t give him the wrong idea, Jaehwan.”

“I’d... like to see it,” Hongbin admits, rubbing his arm and hoping it’ll dispel his own internal anxiety of appearing too eager. 

“Oh my god, really? I haven’t actually done it in forever,” Hakeyon laughs, but there’s something a little reserved in the way he does it. It looks like he’s a little nervous, almost, and he’s picking at the new callouses on his hand. It’s a habit that Hongbin has, embarrassingly enough, also managed to pick up after staring at Hakyeon for too long.

“No time like the present then,” Jaehwan grins, and gets a smack upside the head. “We should do it like the old times; Minhyuk was always the one Hakyeon did his jump over. It was like a circus act.”

“Nobody’s gonna volunteer to lie down for me,” Hakyeon scoffs, smoothing the sleeves of his shirt down.

“What about Taekwoon?” Jaehwan asks, nodding towards Taekwoon’s form, now reclining lazily on the lawn next to a stretching Wonshik. “He’s just lying around anyway.”

Hakyeon frowns. “You want me to jump over a guy with a broken arm? He’ll kill me.”

Jaehwan laughs, and Hongbin joins in too, until Sanghyuk turns to him with the devil’s gleam in his eye and says, “How about Hongbin then?”

Hongbin’s mouth snaps shut, flushing fiercely. “Uh-uh. No way.”

“Oh, shush, you’ll be fine! Besides, you have cute short legs,” Jaehwan says brightly, apparently agreeing with the idea, because the next thing Hongbin knows he’s being manhandled with surprising strength into lying down on the bumpy concrete floor beneath a short ledge, with all his protests and grumbles ignored. But then again, it’s also possible that Jaehwan already knows Hongbin will give in, because let’s face it, he can be such a pushover when it comes to Hakyeon sometimes.

“Fine, fine,” he grunts eventually, wiggling until he finds a slightly more comfortable spot on the ground. The back of his head aches already, so he lifts his arms, laces his fingers together and pillows his head on the flat of his palms, squinting up at Hakyeon while the breeze lifts the hem of his shirt. “Please don’t break my arm either.”

Hakyeon doesn’t respond immediately— for a moment, he just stands and stares down at Hongbin, something unreadable on his normally cheerful face. He doesn’t look upset, but all he does is look down at Hongbin with the most peculiar expression until Jaehwan whistles and Hakyeon shakes himself out of his stupor.

“You won’t get out of your training regime that easily,” he replies, grinning, and Hongbin smirks even as he wonders what that was all about.

“Damn, foiled again.”

Hakyeon snorts, the sound surprisingly cute and sudden, but before Hongbin could say anything else he’s already disappeared from sight. For a moment, all he can do is lie still and pray internally that Hakyeon can still make the leap. Not that Hongbin doubts it, really, he’s fallen so hard by now Hakyeon could walk in wearing socks with Crocs and he’ll believe the man was pioneering a new fashion trend.

There’s some hollering, the sound of pounding footsteps, and then a figure launches into view.

Hongbin tilts his head back a little, watching, and his breath gets stuck in his throat as Hakyeon soars overhead.

His knees tuck in to his chest, his arms spread slightly out to help balance, and Hongbin’s mouth goes dry as he watches the thin silver bracelet on Hakyeon’s wrist glitter in the sunlight as the man rotates through the air. He shows off a neat, clean, and high arc above Hongbin’s body, and lands back down onto the concrete with more than enough space to spare. There’s a few whoops and claps, and Hakyeon does a mock bow while Hongbin struggles to push himself back up, head still spinning at the image of Hakyeon flying above him.

God damn, that had been a sight.

“You okay?”

Hongbin looks up, and swallows around a scratchy throat as Hakyeon extends a hand to him. He takes it, and lets Hakyeon haul him to his feet.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

He’s more than okay.

+

That night, he wakes up without warning, and in his confusion the residual images of Hakyeon leaping over him burn into the recess of his mind. He feels his face heat up when he wonders if he’s dreaming about Hakyeon of all things, and sighs before he turns over and tries to fall back asleep.

Except, his brain then decides it’s a good idea to turn it into slow motion and put it on repeat, so Hongbin can lie back down and watch the image of Hakyeon’s perfect form and elegant jump again, and again, and again.

+

He likes Hakyeon.

There wasn’t even a soul-shattering kind of revelation for him to cling to, or pinpoint as a turning moment. All Hongbin can think of is weeks of seeing each other, sharing water bottles and joking around, taking breaks on the bumpy curb and watching the others practice their moves in hypnotic, repetitive motions at a certain spot they’re camped out at for the day. They vented about school and work, argued about which  _Alien_  film is the best, and played the most intense game of ‘the floor is lava’ Hongbin has ever seen. It was a feeling that sort of blanketed over Hongbin, and anything from a smile to Hakyeon to seeing him take a running leap at the wall and haul himself right over the top light he weighed nothing— it was everything, and Hongbin thinks he might be drowning a little.

+

It’s a particularly hot day today, sort of like a combination of summer’s last hurrah and a dying  _fuck you_  before fall season took over, and Hongbin feels absolutely disgusting. It’s muggy, the air is thick and heavy, making the lightweight fabric of his pants cling to his shins and his shirt stick to his chest. They’re all sweating, even in the shade, as they warm up and prepare for the day’s run. Sanghyuk douses an entire bottle of water over his head, picking up Wonshik’s terrible habits as usual, and just when they’re about to head off—

“Ah, wait, gimmie a second,” Hakyeon calls from the back, and when Hongbin turns around he almost falls off the wall he’s standing on because Hakyeon has just pulled off his hoodie, and underneath it he’s wearing a  _crop top_.

An honest to god, midriff-baring, tiny piece of black material. It’s short-sleeved and floaty around the middle and Hongbin is a hundred percent sure that once Hakyeon starts vaulting and tumbling, that little thing is going to fly up and Hakyeon might as well be shirtless.

“Let’s goooo,” Sanghyuk boos, and Hakyeon actually gives the younger man the finger as he pulls himself up onto the wall, right next to Hongbin. Skin, there’s so much flawless skin on display. Hongbin’s brain is sounding all the alarms, and when he notices Sanghyuk giving him a curious look, he tries to school his expression into something calmer. He’s not sure if he succeeds.

“Ready?” Hakyeon asks, shooting Hongbin a roguish smirk as he raises his arms over his head, stretching, and Hongbin nearly passes out on the spot. Who is this Hakyeon, and why is he like this? Is this what happens when Hakyeon lets loose on the weekends?

Hongbin gulps, nods because he’s certain his voice would crack embarrassingly, and tries desperately not to let that heat sink any lower in his body. Fuck, think of anything else other than the smooth line of Hakyeon’s hip— the mystery meat in the cafeteria, the mould growing in Wonshik’s bathtub, the people he sees finish using the bathroom in the subway and don’t wash their hands—

He’s finally jolted out of his unnoticed internal conflicts when Jaehwan lets out an excited whoop and leaps off the wall, going for the rails a few feet down, and is literally hopping towards the next set the moment his feet touch down, full of pent-up energy and ready to release it on an unsuspecting world.

Normally, he’d follow near the end of the pack, mostly because he’s not as familiar with the area and because he likes a bit of breathing space, but this time, Hongbin launches himself right after Jaehwan, clearing the railings with ease and immediately going for a pop vault at the next wall.

If he has to stare at the bare skin above Hakyeon’s waistband, or watch the flex of his abdominal muscles with the glistening sweat as he lifts his feet over the obstacles, Hongbin is certain he’s going to crash right into the concrete instead of climbing over it.

+

He wakes again.

The fan is on, the window is open, and even then the early summer heat still clings to the nape of his neck. Hongbin rolls over, groaning quietly, and tries not to think about how this feeling is very much like the one he gets whenever Hakyeon stands too close, or smiles his way, or adds a cheeky little pirouette once he lands a jump.

His traitorous brain swerves back to the crop top from the afternoon, and Hongbin flushes horribly even though there’s nobody in the room but himself. He sort of wants to leap into a river and just sink to the bottom, and what  _is_  it with Hakyeon that messes with him so bad?

He thinks about Sanghyuk’s lifted eyebrows, Wonshik’s harmless comment of  _you’re really getting along with Hakyeon, aren’tcha?_  without knowing just how true the statement is.

Hongbin buries his face into his pillow, and resists the urge to yell into it.

Oh, he’s hopeless.

+

Sanghyuk proudly announces that he’s landed an internship position at one of their meet ups about a week ago, and they’d all tackled the boy down, giving him noogies and clapping him on the back in congratulations till they all tipped over onto the lawn. Then, Hakyeon had proposed they all have dinner together, to celebrate, and nobody objected.

It took a bit of wrangling, but they finally managed to settle on a proper day, and Wonshik mentioned a sushi place his cousin worked at, so they all piled into the little restaurant sandwiched between a barber shop and a music store that rainy night, ordering as much as their bellies could hold and even more liquor to go around.

Hongbin laughs, eats, and drinks, and for once he doesn’t feel so tense around people. Maybe it’s because he’s gotten to know these guys so well now, or maybe it’s just because they’re all so infectious with their happiness, but he feels warm.

It feels like belonging.

Hakyeon’s hand lands on his thigh at one point, when they were trying to coerce a stubborn Taekwoon into joining their wasabi roulette challenge, and Hakyeon had given him a weak little grin, patting his leg good-naturally.

“My bad,” he’d said, colour high on his cheeks because of the alcohol, and Hongbin grins back, warmth in his chest.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied, choosing to pour Hakyeon a bit more sake instead, and Hakyeon grins at him before tossing everything back.

His hand didn’t leave Hongbin’s thigh for the rest of the night, and Hongbin really, really didn’t mind it at all.

The rain hadn’t let up yet by the time the left, stumbling out into the cool night air, and Hongbin wrinkles his nose when the droplets splash onto his nose. Wonshik is accompanying Taekwoon home, and Jaehwan and Sanghyuk are taking a cab together because they live further away. Hongbin contemplates getting a cab too, but his empty wallet is laughing at him from his back pocket, so he sighs and smoothes his jacket down his front.

“How’re you getting home?” Hakyeon asks, moving to stand next to him on the front steps of the restaurant. Hongbin tips his head into the watery darkness.

“I’ll walk. I don’t live very far.”

“By yourself?” Hakyeon asks, raising an eyebrow. “In this weather?”

“My apartment is less than half and hour away.”

“But it’s raining!”

“I’m waterproof,” Hongbin jokes, but Hakyeon is shaking his head adamantly, puffing his chest up like a little bird. He looks  _adorable_.

“I’ve got an umbrella. I’ll take you home.”

“What? No way man, you live the other way.”

“It’s okay,” Hakyeon says cheerfully, opening up the umbrella between them. It’s a soft, pastel pink and there’s a little bit of gold thread stitched into the fabric. “I can walk you back.”

“You don’t have to,” Hongbin argues, neck and face burning, because it means standing under an umbrella with Hakyeon, and good god, if the rain hit his face it might actually turn into steam because of how warm his cheeks are.

“Nonsense,” Hakyeon insists, and he loops his arm through Hongbin’s tugging him away from the illuminated doorway of the sushi shop. “Let’s go!”

“I live in the opposite direction! And it’s raining like crazy!” Hongbin protests, but it sounds a little weak to his ears too.

“I’ll still have the umbrella when I go home. This is fine,” Hakyeon smiles, but just as Hongbin opens his mouth again, wanting to give one last attempt at raising his defences, so he at least say he  _tried_ , Hakyeon holds a finger, expression firm but kind. “Please. Let me do this.”

Hongbin opens his mouth, and closes it.

The metaphorical white flag flies.

Hakyeon is smiling. “Let’s get you home, pretty boy,” he teases, and they depart without further ado.

It’s actually really nice being around Hakyeon. Hongbin’s come to realize this in the past few weeks they’ve spent together, milling in and out of various parks and deserted locations all over the city. It’s nice seeing Hakyeon show up in his work outfit, only to strip down to slim joggers, ratty old tees and neon runners, sometimes with a beanie mashed onto his head or with a flappy sweater tossed over his shoulders.

It’s also nice chasing after Hakyeon while they leap and bound into the air, undaunted. There’s a thrill that shoots through him each time he sees Hakyeon vault over a wall, or twirl himself around a stop sign like he’s not supporting the entirety of his weight on just his arms. Hakyeon is constantly in motion, and even when it looks like there’s nowhere left to go, he’ll manage to squeeze one last flip in before landing with flourish, eyes crinkled and smile dazzling. He makes Hongbin want to run faster, jump higher, and reach further. That feeling— it’s wonderful.

They walk and talk and have no troubles hopping over the enormous puddles forming in the uneven, cracked pavement. Hakyeon even does a wonderful little rendition of ‘Singing in the Rain’, his English smooth and his voice warm, until his dancing takes the umbrella too far and Hongbin sneezes.

Hakyeon doesn’t stray far after that.

He’s almost regretful when they reach his building, because they’re not scheduled to meet up until Thursday the earliest. Taekwoon is going to the doctor’s for a check up and hopefully get his cast off, Sanghyuk has a project due, and Jaehwan picked up an extra shift at the café. So, they’re all busy.

“Thanks for walking me back,” Hongbin says, grinning when Hakyeon nudges him amicably.

“No problem. There’s no downsides for me tonight; I got my drinks and I love the rain and I had the company of a pretty boy for twenty minutes. I daresay it’s been a pretty chill night.”

Hongbin chokes back a sound, and the words tumble out before he could stop himself: “Do you really think I’m pretty?”

Hakyeon pauses, eyes wide, and Hongbin bites his tongue. Damn it, damn it damn it damn it—

“Yeah,” Hakyeon says, and his voice is a little quieter. “Yeah, I do.”

Oh.

Hongbin thinks his cheeks are red again. “Um, thanks,” he offers, trying to sound upbeat, but for some reason, he can’t bring himself to do it. Not when Hakyeon’s looking at him like that.

“I think you’re more than just pretty, to be honest,” he says, soft. His eyes meet Hongbin’s, and Hakyeon doesn’t look away. “I think you’re funny, and your deadpan humour is hilarious. Even when you argue with me about whether or not Prometheus was a necessary prequel. You’re cute when you watch house cats lounging around on people’s windowsills. And then when we’re practicing— when you tilt your head back after a particularly hard run and you’re out of breath, the line of your jaw is incredible. And when you  _are_  running out there—” he sucks in a breath, and Hongbin is suddenly aware that he’s stopped breathing too. Hakyeon exhales, stepping forwards. He places a warm hand on the side of Hongbin’s face, and Hongbin doesn’t move away.

“When you’re out there, jumping and climbing and vaulting like you’re meant to walk across the skies, you’re  _beautiful_.”

Hongbin grabs the front of Hakyeon’s jacket, hauls him forwards, and presses their lips together.

It was impulsive and internally he’s shrieking and yanking his own hair out, heart hammering against his ribcage, but on the exterior his world has narrowed down to the way Hakyeon’s mouth opens slightly in surprise, the way his hand drops away from Hongbin’s face, and then the umbrella is falling onto the wet pavement as Hakyeon seizes him around the waist and drags him close.

Hongbin gasps, stomach melting from the heat, and Hakyeon kisses him back, a soft moan tumbling from his lips, and Hongbin wastes no time returning the favour tenfold.

They kiss and kiss until the rain becomes a little too much, and all that’s left when they part, arms still clinging around each other, is a punch-drunk giggle that slowly morphs into a full, happy laugh that echoes up and down the street.

+

When they meet again as a group on Thursday, Hakyeon walks up, gives Hongbin a peck on the cheek, and announces that he’s going to go change. Hongbin nods and continues to fiddle with the broken clasp of Sanghyuk’s water bottle, trying desperately to hide the flush heating up the back of his neck and cheeks while Taekwoon spits out his drink, Jaehwan falls flat on his face in shock, and Wonshik splutters utter incoherencies while Sanghyuk shrugs and says, “Called it.”

(But Hongbin doesn’t miss the how the tips of Hakyeon’s ears are looking adorably red too, and smiles giddily to himself.)

+

They start off a little slow, mostly because Hongbin is shy, but it turns out Hakyeon can get even shyer than him sometimes, which is probably the most delightful turn of events thus yet. Hongbin honestly can’t get enough of the way Hakyeon’s face will mirror his own bright red ones after they kiss, or how he’d touch his cheeks and lower his gaze bashfully after Hongbin compliments him on something. But he also doesn’t hold back on his affections either, and Hongbin quickly becomes accustomed to the sweet nicknames, the extra food and snacks Hakyeon insists on giving him, and no small amount of cuddles and smooches to his forehead, nose and lips.

They’re sitting together on the squashy sofa in Hakyeon’s apartment, marathoning some crime drama Hongbin’s been obsessed with, and Hakyeon doesn’t hesitate to pull Hongbin back against his chest and wrap his arms around his waist. The position is a little difficult on the couch, because they’re both so tall and bulky— and Hakyeon  _is_  bulky, just not in the way Hongbin’s biceps bulge or his thighs are literal hunks of solid meat. No, Hakyeon is long and wide-shouldered and his hips are also insanely strong too; he ran into the corner of one of Hongbin’s tables once and Hongbin swore the  _table_  was the one that dentedinstead.

“Hey,” Hakyeon murmurs, and Hongbin only manages a distracted hum in reply. The rookie detective Wang Chiang is on the verge of solving the case of the abducted pop singer, and he just  _knows_  it’ll have something to do with the detective’s allegedly deceased girlfriend. Who, as every diligent binge-watcher knows by now, isn’t  _actually_  dead.

“How long have we been dating?” Hakyeon asks, smoothing his thumb over the bit of skin underneath the hem of Hongbin’s shirt, and Hongbin shivers at the feeling.

“Um— three? Almost four weeks now?”

“So almost a month,” Hakyeon muses, kissing the back of Hongbin’s neck. “Wanna do something interesting to celebrate?”

“Celebrate? Y-Yeah, sure, I, uh,” he stammers, the line of his back tensing when Hakyeon’s hand slides further up, fingers tickling his stomach with their soft touch. Damn Hakyeon, Hongbin can feel him smiling against his neck. “W-whatever you want—  _Hakyeon_ —”

“Let’s go to the harbour,” Hakyeon suggests, finally easing up his teasing touches a little. Hongbin breathes a sigh of relief, staring at the television screen. Wang Chiang is running down some dark hallway, and he’s got no idea how the detective got there. “Nice view, fresh seafood, ice cream, and...” a kiss, right below his ear. “Plenty of space to jump around.”

Hongbin finally turns, grinning. He takes Hakyeon’s hand in his own, and pretends to consider it.

“Sounds like a plan.”

+

Their date is pleasant.

The weather is beautiful, and even though it’s sunny and bright outside, the breeze by the lake is fresh and the trail they jog down by is full of avid runners, parents with strollers, and little children running around. Said children also scream and gasp in delight as they watched Hongbin and Hakyeon hurdle over the railings, land on the rocks, and continue their way back up. The ice cream was a well-deserved treat after their practice.

“Hongbinnie,” Hakyeon says, nudging him, and Hongbin looks up, a smear of ice cream over his lips.

The screen of Hakyeon’s phone flashes, and Hongbin lets out a noise of indignant alarm.

“Cute,” Hakyeon coos, which is perfectly alright for him because  _he’s_  smiling like a champ and he’s shooting from his good angle. Meanwhile, Hongbin looks like a surprised toddler that’s just dropped food on themselves. So he spends a solid minute chasing Hakyeon around the pier until he latches on to his boyfriend, mashes their lips together, and makes Hakyeon take another picture of them with proper, gloriously messy ice cream moustaches.

+

They start hanging out together more often, aside from meeting up for practice or on dates. There’s weekends where Hakyeon would text Hongbin and drag him out of the apartment to go grocery shopping together, and after a bit of wheedling Hongbin also gains a new workout partner down at V Fitness (Jaehwan is still mysteriously absent). Hakyeon comes down to his campus one day, and Hongbin helps Hakyeon pick out a new dining table at Ikea another evening.

Hakyeon slips his hands into Hongbin’s each time they go out until Hongbin manages to scrape together enough confidence in his poor little heart and takes Hakyeon’s hand first. Hakyeon grins at him, squeezes back, and doesn’t let go.

Somehow, it’s like making that first jump. It’s daunting and scary and Hongbin feels like he might get blown off the building with one misstep, but once he leaps, he finds that the fall wasn’t so bad after all.

+

“Question?” Hakyeon says, and Hongbin looks up from the sink, the residual facewash foam dripping off his chin.

“Yeah?”

“What’s the worst injury you’ve gotten during parkour?” Hakyeon asks, leaning against the doorframe. He looks so comfortable in a faded grey shirt and dark pyjama bottoms that drag along the floor; Hongbin finds that he quite likes seeing Hakyeon comfortable in his home. They’ve been spending a lot more time at each other’s as of late, and there’s a little drawer in Hakyeon’s dresser thoughtfully cleared out for his stuff too.

“Hm,” Hongbin says, looking down at himself. There were scrapes that left faint scars on his hands, a lot of banged-up dents permanently left behind in his shins, and maybe a few bruises on his knees that turned every ugly colour under the sun before they healed. But there is one that he’s sort of proud of.

“I got this scar under my chin trying to jump across Satan’s Rift,” Hongbin says, tilting his head back, and Hakyeon makes a noise of surprise. Satan’s Rift is a crevice found near an abandoned bridge project north of the city, where construction companies had deemed the area unsuitable for work because of the loose rock. The little canyon became a popular spot for BMX bikers, rock climbers and some traceurs to take on the challenge. It seems like the divide only grows bigger with each passing winter, most likely a result of erosion, and ushers in a fresh crowd each time.

“Look at that,” Hakyeon clucks his tongue, gently tracing a calloused fingertip across the raised skin. “Let me guess, you fell.”

“I jumped three times, and fell twice,” Hongbin corrects, grinning. “I got it the second time when I missed the ledge and smashed my chin into the rock.”

“Urgh,” Hakyeon winces, withdrawing his hand and stepping out of the doorway so Hongbin could exit his bathroom. “And the third time?”

“I made it,” Hongbin smirks, liking the way Hakyeon’s eyebrows lift, impressed.

“Glad you did,” he purred, dragging his nails lightly down Hongbin’s neck, and he closes his eyes momentarily.

“And you? What was your worst injury?”

Hakyeon’s fingers vanish, and he lifts the hem of his shirt, showing an inch-long gouge on the left side of his hip.

“Misjudged a jump, fell, and landed on a pile of rubbish. The broken pipe hiding under a piece of cardboard was unexpected,” he says, sheepish. Hongbin chokes in disbelief, eyes widening.

“You  _what_.”

“Got twelve stitches, got yelled at by all my siblings, and ended up with this wicked scar. Is that how kids say it nowadays?”

“Dunno,” Hongbin huffs, touching the line of Hakyeon’s hip. “How long ago was this?”

“Two years back, probably? It still aches a little, but only when it’s about to rain.”

“That’s weird,” Hongbin jokes, but he’s already moved to his knees. He presses a tentative kiss over the scar, feels Hakyeon suck in a breath, and then fingers carding through his hair. “How does it feel now?”

“... terribly achey,” Hakyeon says, chewing his lip as Hongbin’s hands trace the waistband of his pants. They’re loose around Hakyeon’s hips, and it’ll be so easy to give it a tug. “You should do something about it.”

“I should,” Hongbin agrees, wetting his lips, and Hakyeon turns red.

+

They fix up a time to really meet at V-Fitness, and sometimes the guys will drop in to chill with them. Well, as chill as they can possibly get when they’re sweating buckets as they work out. If Sanghyuk can goad Jaehwan enough, the two of them can usually be found sprinting around the track like wind-up toys until they collapse by the rowing machines, literally worn out. Hongbin has his own routine, like Hakyeon, but it’s still fun to jog on treadmills side by side or spotting the other as they lift weights.

It’s Friday night and nearly closing hour— there’s only a few people left at the gym. The hum of the water filter mixes with the constant whir of machinery and the occasional squeaks of shoes on the basketball court as a group of women play three-on-three. Hongbin lies on his back, the soft mat cushioning him from the ground, and tries to implement some cool-down meditation routine Hakyeon wanted to try out. His music sounds from his discarded headphones, tinny and small, and he feels Hakyeon’s pinky twitch against his from where their hands are lying very close to each other’s on the floor.

“Are you relaxing?” Hakyeon mumbles, and Hongbin cracks an eye open.

“Yes. Are you?”

“Obviously.”

Hongbin snorts, and it makes Hakyeon smile, puffing out a breath of air. He looks quite gorgeous like this, with his hair tousled and damp with sweat, scattered across his forehead because he’s on his back. A sudden idea hits Hongbin, and he sits up. Hakyeon opens his eyes.

“Where are you going?” 

“Nowhere,” Hongbin replies, standing with a grin. “Stay there, I have something I want to try on you.”

“Oooh,” Hakyeon smirks, giving him a suggestive eyebrow wiggle as he dodges away from Hongbin’s predictable smack. But he stays on his squashy purple mat anyway, hair fanning out around his head as Hongbin moves to stand above him. Hakyeon gives him an inquisitive look when he notices he’s lying right between Hongbin’s legs, but it quickly morphs into a mischievous one when Hongbin leans over, plants his hands on either side of Hakyeon’s head, and kicks him into a handstand.

“Want me to count for you?”

“Yes please,” Hongbin replies, feeling a sort of heat rise in his cheeks that really doesn’t have much to do with the blood rushing down into his head. Instead, he focuses on bending his elbows, controlling the balance of his handstand, and lowers himself.

Hakyeon closes his eyes, and Hongbin’s lips meets his boyfriends’.

“One,” Hakyeon says, as Hongbin pushes himself back up. He inhales, tightening his abdominal muscles, and goes back down. “Two.”

Push up. Back down.

“Three.”

Up. Down.

“Four.”

Again.

“Five.” There’s a hint of tongue this time.

“Six.” His arms shake slightly, but Hakyeon’s gaze is piercing. Hongbin’s muscles aren’t the only parts of him starting to feel the burn.

“Seven.”

Up.

“Eight.”

Down.

“Nine.”

Down, down, and down.

He hold this kiss a little longer, and feels Hakyeon’s soft exhale lightly against his mouth. Fingers trail up his arms, inducing goosebumps, and Hongbin’s focus zeroes in on the pounding of his heart, the tremble in his arms, and the feel of Hakyeon’s lips on his. He finally pushes back up, and lowers his feet.

Hakyeon sits up, eyes bright, and he lips his lips.

“Ten,” he breathes, and sits up so fast Hongbin almost falls over. He has to stifle a laugh when Hakyeon sweeps up their towels and water bottles in one swoop, hand tightening on Hongbin’s wrist before dragging them to the change rooms. He’s not really surprised when Hakyeon rounds on him in the shadowy corner just behind the entranceway, out of sight from anybody in the gym and anybody using the facilities.

Hakyeon kisses like he’s desperate, tugging at Hongbin’s hair and tilting his head back with the softest brush of his fingertips. He lets Hakyeon control it, thriving when he has to clench his hands into fists and refrain from touching. Later. It’ll be worth it later.

“Question,” Hakyeon says when he pulls back, voice rough.

“No, go back to kissing me.”

“Nah,” Hakyeon breathes, ragged. “Do you know how much of a tease you are sometimes?”

“A tease?” Hongbin repeats, blinking innocently as he lifts his hands, tugging up the hem of his shirt deliberately, and grins when Hakyeon’s eyes immediately look down at his abs and the V-line of his hips. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

“Fuck this,” Hakyeon intones, low and hot. “We’re going home.”

“Not gonna finish our routine today? How rare of you—”

“Fuck  _you_ ,” Hakyeon growls, voice like sin. He palms the front of Hongbin’s pants without warning, and Hongbin’s hips twitch of their own accord as a gasp escapes from him. “You’d better put that smart mouth to proper use later on.”

“Sure,” Hongbin replies breathlessly, ignoring the wild feeling spreading throughout his chest. “If you think you can keep up, that is.” Hakyeon’s expression looks wrecked, and Hongbin feels like he’s just leapt off a building and he’s momentarily forgotten where it is he could land— or even if a landing is possible. All the possibilities swirl around in his brain for a tense second, and then it all boils down to a single answer, clear as day.

He’s gonna stick the landing.

He won’t stand for anything less.

+

“Question,” Hakyeon murmurs against his neck, and Hongbin shivers slightly at the ticklish sensation. He won’t admit it yet, because it’s fun watching Hakyeon pout at him when he’s playing hard to get, but he’s liking these little moments of discovery between the two of them.

“Answer,” he replies, reclining in the twisted sheets and blankets, and gets a pinch to the hip for his nonsense.

“Ow!”

“Why did you take up parkour?” Hakyeon asks, and Hongbin blinks.

“Um. It’s fun? It’s a good workout routine too.”

“What kind of an answer is that? This isn’t a job interview,” Hakyeon chides, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at Hongbin. Sex afterglow is truly a thing, and Hakyeon looks absolutely fantastic like this.

“I would hope not,” Hongbin deadpans. “I’m literally naked and just had sex with you, that would make our boss-employee relationship highly awkward.”

“Don’t get smart with me,” Hakyeon snarks back, flicking him in the forehead, and a quick bout of wrestling ensues until Hakyeon ends up resting his head on Hongbin’s chest, with Hongbin’s arms curled around his bare back.

“Dunno,” Hongbin admits. “I just remembered how much I liked climbing shit when I was young, but how I used to suck at getting down from high places.”

Hakyeon snorts. “I can see why you’re not a rock climber then.”

“Yeah,” Hongbin laughs, staring up at the ceiling. “And when I woke up late to classes, and I realized that running along the top of my neighbours’ backyard fences was a much quicker way to get to school on time than walking on the sidewalk. I used to get so many complaint calls from my principal.”

“Mm, a rebel,” Hakyeon says, eyes twinkling.

“Funny. But either way, when I found out there were ways to jump and leap and run like that... I just really got the hang of it, y’know?”

“Mmhm,” Hakyeon hums, tracing patterns onto Hongbin’s chest, and Hongbin cards his hands through Hakyeon’s soft, messy hair.

“And... I like the feeling of free falling,” he finishes. “The sensation just makes my heart jump. It feels cool.”

“God damn adrenaline junkie,” Hakyeon chuckles, and Hongbin pretends to roll his eyes.

“And what about you?” he asks. Hakyeon tilts his head so he could look up at Hongbin. He looks so kissable from this angle. “A businessman working for a popular clothing brand that jumps from buildings in his spare time. That’s some Spiderman shit right there.”

“No spiders, just me,” Hakyeon drawls. “Businessman by day, super cool traceur by night. You’ve just stumbled upon my dual identity, so now I must silence you.”

“Silence who—  _oomph_ —”

Hakyeon’s kisses right now are sweet, accompanied by little pecks at the corners of his mouth until he decides to give Hongbin a hickey on the inside of his lip. Which is, apparently, a thing, and it’s sort of hot.

“It’s as you said,” Hakyeon whispers, hand sneaking beneath the sheets. Hongbin groans when he feels Hakyeon’s fingers trace down his hips and between his legs. His body is wrung out, he can feel it, but there’s a warmth automatically spreading below his belly. God, Hakyeon has no idea what kind of an effect he can have.

“That feeling of free fall,” Hakyeon continues, kissing and biting along Hongbin’s collarbones. “And the good burn of a workout. The wind in my hair... and the world at my fingertips. It’s...”

His hand doesn’t stop, and Hongbin curses quietly and tugs at Hakyeon’s hair until Hakyeon moans with want.

“It’s great?” Hongbin pants, somehow managing to locate one of the condoms tossed somewhere over their blanket, and Hakyeon laughs breathlessly, smile wide and skin positively glowing.

“It’s  _phenomenal_.”

+

“Aww,” Jaehwan coos, wiggling his sweater paws at them. Sanghyuk rolls his eyes good-naturally, Wonshik gives a half-hearted complaint, and Taekwoon, freshly free of his plaster, shakes his head with red cheeks and tries to hide behind Wonshik.

“Don’t be jealous,” Hakyeon calls, a huge grin on his face as he gives Hongbin’s nose an extra kiss. Hongbin splutters, but he’s got his arm wound around Hakyeon’s waist all the same, holding his boyfriend close. The camera captures the two of them, standing at the edge of an abandoned building on a hill with the beautiful city landscape on the verge of twilight as their backdrop. Hongbin’s never seen himself kiss Hakyeon before, but looking at the photo they took just now, he has to admit he likes it. He likes it a lot.

“We’re not getting any younger here, lovebirds!” Sanghyuk shouts, and Hakyeon huffs, stuffing his phone into the front pocket of his jacket. The weather’s getting colder, and the air is getting crisper.

“I’m off, babe,” he whispers, giving Hongbin a heart-melting smile. “Happy six months.”

“Yeah,” Hongbin smiles, and he lets go. Hakyeon fearlessly flips off the edge of the roof, aiming for the spacious terrace below them, and Hongbin watches on with warmth in his heart. A gust of wind blows past, ruffling his hair.

It’s an interesting feeling when he realizes that there is no fear to falling. Hongbin isn’t a whimsical dreamer, but sometimes, there are days where he feels like he can launch himself into the sky and stay there, where there is no longer a division between the horizontal and vertical.

The world becomes a runway, and he has his wings.

He leaps off the building after Hakyeon, spreads his arms, and flies.

+

_End_

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching some documentaries on parkour and honest to god, it's unreal what the human body can do
> 
> (trips down the stairs)  
> ( _whispers: parkour_ )
> 
> thank you for reading!


End file.
